BUDs in the landscape

[colbec]

It's clear that some people don't like big dishes because they look unsightly.

In addition there are people like me that have an inbuilt objection to concreted-in posts. Those I have removed so far have been way out of plumb, twisty and wobbly, and a real pain to extract. However my main objection is that it is not easily undone and removed to another location.

So a good challenge for a landscaper is to create a landscape which disguises the BUD but still allows it to function with the requirement that it not be concreted into the ground. So it would have to be guyed or with braces to ensure that it does not move in the wind, and ideally would be adjustable so that if it does come out of plumb or twist in place then it can be readjusted and clamped down again.

I'm trying to work my dishes into a kind of grape arbour arrangement. Multiple posts provide mutual support to each other via cross beams to prevent twist and movement. Yes, eventually posts have to be replaced but that is all part of the price.

I'd be interested in what others have come up with to allow BUDs to become invisible in the environment. One of these days someone will come up with a Fresnel lens built into a wall, but in the meantime we go with the dish, if we can.

 

[telefrancisco]

One of these days someone will come up with a Fresnel lens built into a wall

Perhaps you may want to take a look at my post:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=96338

 

[colbec]

Yes, I had read that thread, telefrancisco, but have yet to hear of anyone experimenting with a Fresnel lens on the 10' bud scale and plonking it on the side of a wall. In the context of this thread it would be easier to disguise in a landscape context.

Now, we just have to persuade grapevines to grow leaves that have C-Band reflective properties and automatically orient themselves to a particular satellite. Maybe we could get the iron in the chlorophyll to respond to the earth's magnetic field ...

 

[TuxCoder]

If only I had a picture of the front yard of a house near me... I don't think it's quite what you had in mind though. But I'll share anyway.

It's a house on a pretty main road, and in the front yard is a C-band dish looking over the corner of the house (trees behind the back yard apparently forced it to go in front). To hide the dish from the traffic, the owner put a decently large mound, very intricately landscaped, along the front edge of his yard.

The rumor I heard was that originally the mound had only grass on it, and some city ordinance (or something... wife ordinance maybe haha) required that man-made mounds like that in a residential yard have to be decorated with trees, flowers, etc. so they "look pretty". So it's a fancy looking two-tiered mound, with a narrow dirt or brick path of sorts going around it, half way up like a landing on a staircase. There are some small trees lining the top of the mound. I think it has flowers too, but I can't remember for sure. It definitely still has the grass, which is kept cut (that has to be a pain to mow).

Hard to explain, but it would be a little weird if I was to just stop in front of the house one day and take some pictures... I don't want to be that guy... But it does look pretty nice I suppose.

 

[swampman]

It's clear that some people don't like big dishes because they look unsightly.

In addition there are people like me that have an inbuilt objection to concreted-in posts. Those I have removed so far have been way out of plumb, twisty and wobbly, and a real pain to extract. However my main objection is that it is not easily undone and removed to another location.

So a good challenge for a landscaper is to create a landscape which disguises the BUD but still allows it to function with the requirement that it not be concreted into the ground. So it would have to be guyed or with braces to ensure that it does not move in the wind, and ideally would be adjustable so that if it does come out of plumb or twist in place then it can be readjusted and clamped down again.

I'm trying to work my dishes into a kind of grape arbour arrangement. Multiple posts provide mutual support to each other via cross beams to prevent twist and movement. Yes, eventually posts have to be replaced but that is all part of the price.

I'd be interested in what others have come up with to allow BUDs to become invisible in the environment. One of these days someone will come up with a Fresnel lens built into a wall, but in the meantime we go with the dish, if we can.

Maybe something as simple as shrubs may work nicely. Creating the appropriate distance is the key. That way you'd have room to manuever around your little "courtyard", and yet not require large/tall shrubs.

 

[bill190]

Here you go...
http://www.satellitedish.com/cover.htm

 

[Corrado]

Natural Landscaping humor

Here's a photo of what mother nature will do.